


footsteps are easier to take in threes.

by seacanary



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Character Study, F/M, Justice Cabal shenanigans, Minor Violence, Multi, inigo is the main focus!, the oc is mentioned for a bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 11:41:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5784061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seacanary/pseuds/seacanary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He tried, he tried so damn hard to do something right, but all in all, there's nothing he can do to help himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	footsteps are easier to take in threes.

**Author's Note:**

> hello!!! i just updated another fic i have but as an apology for being like 2 weeks late here have this. it was a gift for my friend because i was really inspired!! she gave me a whole compliment shower in the end i love u annaka. she's also in the fic so sorry! if you don't like that I don't really. care.  
> and as much as I love Cynthia and Gerome and One Day will write something worthy of their pairing, I'll have to just insert it into everything else I write.

In a room, far, far away from anyone and anything, a young  boy stared at a wall in his room. His eyes traced over paintings and murals without a single regard for their significance. While he thoroughly considered looking for his friends to play with, he decided that he might as well look for his mother. 

The hallways of the castle were drab and boring, but the young boys’ parents made up for it. They wore bright, expressive faces. Whenever he bounded through the halls, his sister in tow, their parents greeted them with open arms. 

Finally, he found his mother. He rocked on his heels a bit, waiting for her and his father to finish addressing the hordes of people come to see the king. 

His mother turned, her pink hair floating around her like clouds. “Oh, Inigo, dear, how are you?” 

Inigo smiled. “I’m fine!” He loved his mother. Her voice was like silk, gliding through the air on each molecule. 

Olivia crouched down in front of him. “Did you need something?” 

Inigo shook his head. “No, Mom! I was just bored and wanted to see you.” 

His father walked over and ruffled his hair. Inigo tried to push his hands away, to no avail. 

“You’re such a polite young boy,” he said. 

Inigo beamed. His father gave him some of the best compliments. Chrom was a good Exalt and a better father, and always made sure Inigo was on his best behavior. 

However, Chrom sighed. He stared out into the large throne room. It felt empty, recently. Inigo felt it too. Aunt Lissa was coming around less often, they hadn’t seen Robin in Plegia for months... Inigo pushed the thoughts out of his mind. He was the joybringer of the family, he had to make sure everyone was happy. 

“Hey, Mom, can you dance for me?” Inigo asked. He opened his eyes wide and inviting. Olivia could never resist those, and Inigo knew it. 

Her face flushed. “Maybe just a little bit....” 

Chrom leaned towards her. “The throne room is empty...” 

Olivia pushed him away gently. He knew how to push her buttons even more than Inigo did. 

The queen sighed and moved to the center of the throne room. Through her drapes of clothing her body moved like a soothing river, one movement bleeding into the next and making everything all the more worthwhile to look at. Ingio grinned brightly. He hoped that one day he too could make someone feel that happy. 

 

***

 

Inigo got slapped on the face. Again. His flirting attempts may be new, but the reactions were always the same old, same old. Nothing he did seemed to get a girl to genuinely like him beyond his looks. 

When he went out with Gerome, girls commented on his “Cool and Cold” demeanor. Inigo tried copying that, and all the girls called him “stiff and unwelcoming.” He went out with Brady and girls cooed and aww’d over his rough exterior but kind interior. Inigo tried that, too, but he was acting so rough on the outside that no one wanted to see his kind inside. 

Owain was eccentric and inviting. Inigo was just too eccentric. Laurent was a know it all, and knew his way to everyone’s hearts. Inigo was a smartass. 

It’s like he couldn’t get anything right. 

He slid his finger around the brim of his teacup. Chamomile, nice and relaxing. He sighed and huffed like a whiny three year old, hoping some girl would come over and pity him and drink tea with him. 

Girl after girl would walk by and sigh. They all knew him. 

He took one last sip and paid the drink. He slouched against a wall and stared at the shop across the street. He should probably go see his mother. In this weird past universe, his mother is young and still gets nervous a bit too easily. He’s worried about her. 

Inigo wanders back into their camp. Robin and his father were discussing battle strategies and plans for their next attack. Inigo scowled. From all the work Lucina had gone through, to see Robin standing there, right next to Chrom... 

It made his blood boil. How could his father just go back to trusting them like nothing happened? Robin could have actually, one hundred percent killed him. His father didn’t care. He trusted Robin far too much. 

Inigo tracked down Gerome and planted himself at his side. The wyvern rider looked a bit put off, but he had mellowed out a bit more since hooking up with Cynthia. He actually went out and  _ talked _ to people. What a miracle. 

“What do you want?” He growled. 

“Oh, hostile, much?” Inigo said, a hand up on his chest in mild offense. “Just wanted to say hello.” 

“You never want to ‘just say hello.’ What’s up?” Gerome asked. Gerome. Being considerate? What was with him today? 

“Just a little peeved, is all. What’s new in Gerome-land? Up for some manhandling?” Inigo cooed. He liked playing things off as jokes. 

“We all know how mad you are about the Robin thing...” Gerome said. His eyes were averted as much as they could be behind his mask. Inigo still didn’t know why he wore it, Cynthia must have gotten some of that embarrassment out of him. 

Instead, Inigo just sighed. “I know, I know. It’s annoying. But Lucina is all cooped up in her fantasy land of heroism and’s too glad that Robin hasn’t done anything to worry about them doing something in the future.”

Gerome quirked a brow. “I didn’t know you were so ruthless, Inigo.” 

The mercenary only smiled. “When I need to be, my dear Jay.” 

 

***

 

The worst part was when Grima actually died. 

It was silent for a long time. Oliva and Chrom held tight hands and their eyes scoured miles of countryside, looking for Robin. They’d apologized profusely, of course, but nothing could stop what happened. Inigo’s hand clenched tight around the hilt of his sword. In the end, the one life they did lose may have outweighed the hundreds lost in a full-on war with the beast. 

 

***

 

Lucina recovered. Her land of heroism may have been molded into a land or martyrdom, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t happy. She ran around playing queen with Father until she was truly ready for the Exalted position. 

Inigo didn’t have anything to worry about. He lounged around the castle drinking expensive tea and cookies. Cynthia and Owain barged through the castle on a near weekly basis to keep him and Lucina company. Sometimes, Gerome would tag along too. Noire, if they were really lucky. Severa if they were the luckiest. 

She and Cynthia hung around each other a lot. It made sense, considering how close their mothers were. 

Inigo played his usual route, toying with Severa’s young heart and making her fluster and blush. She scoffed in return and asked for the most expensive of gifts, and all Inigo did was comply. 

Today, they were huddled around a table eating pig for lunch. Cynthia grinned through every mouthful. 

“So,” the words slid out of Inigo’s mouth, “where are Mom and Dad today, Lucy?” 

“Mom’s dancing at the theatre down the street, Dad’s on patrol with Frederick and Lissa.” 

Inigo hummed in approval. “We’ve got the whole castle to ourselves, then.” 

One by one, the future kids look around the massive castle. Cynthia got a mischievous look in her eye. Owain received said look and grinned like a madman. Gerome and  Noire suddenly looked very, very tense. 

Cynthia brought her foot onto the table. “JUSTICE CABAL, TO BATTLE!”

Owain leaped onto the table as well. He raised a fist into the air. “TO BATTLE!”

Noire and Gerome put their hands in the air and lightly said “to battle...”

Severa just huffed. Cynthia turned around and gave her a pleading look. After a long staring contest, Severa raised her hand and said “Sure, to battle, whatever.” 

Inigo and Lucina exchanged equally confused looks. The Justice Cabal conversed between themselves for a while until they came to a conclusion. 

“Today,” Cynthia began. 

“We shall be protecting the Exalt and her brother from the evil grips of LiveDoers!” 

Lucina choked out a laugh. “LiveDoers? What are they living for?” 

Owain rolled his entire head dramatically. “It’s evil backwards, Lucina. Gods.” 

“I know, I know. Who are the LiveDoers?” 

Cynthia made  [ a rather dramatic pose ](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/69/23/5b/69235b9fc94c1cf559e2079553e6090b.jpg) at Noire and Gerome, as if to show off their evilness. 

“My wonderful husband Gerome and the light of Owain’s life, Noire!” 

Inigo chuckled. “What do we have to do?” 

Severa gave him a long, displeased look. “Stand there and look pretty for once, Inigo.” 

“Oh, rude much?” Inigo said, but took to his role gladly. He and Lucina watched as the Justice Cabal acted out an entire battle scene, complete with dramatic character near-death and hopeful character reform. By the closest inch to the end of it, Gerome had converted to the light side of whatever their weird evil force was, and Noire was slowly falling into her last (acted out) breaths. 

Owain was about to dramatically cut the head off of his wife when the door flung open. Half the kids jumped. 

Chrom was in the doorway breathing heavily, face flushed. He looked across the entourage of children until he saw his own. 

“Robin.... Back...” He huffed. 

The air left every person’s lungs. Thoughts raced through Inigo’s mind, how could Robin be back? Aren't they dead, blinked from existence along with the Fell Dragon? How could this happen? Yet, there they were, taking long steps into the dining hall. Frederick had his hand under their arm and was hoisting them up. Lissa fretted around them, saying she’d heal them up right away, as soon as they got to the castle. 

Ingio gave them one long look and sighed. 

 

***

 

It took nearly a month for Robin to recover. They remembered everything, every last detail, from their life before the first memory wipe to the moment they were shut from existence. They apologized for disappearing again, but Chrom brushed it off like it was no problem. The younger versions of Lucina and Inigo were starting to get old enough to recognize the older ones, so the two royal children found themselves in an odd situation. However it played out, both sets of children hoped for the best. 

Inigo sat in a nearby cafe to the castle. His slid his finger around the rim of his cup and stared at a wall. He hoped some girl would  come by and pity him, buy him a drink and whatnot. He didn’t expect it to actually happen. 

A girl with beautiful hair and beautiful eyes and the most gorgeous skin sat in front of him. She flagged down a waiter and asked for some tea. She gave Inigo a long, determined look. 

“So, what’s up, prince?” 

Inigo’s heart started to shatter. “Nothing much, really, but to whom do I owe this wonderful pleasure?” 

“My name’s Annaka,” she said. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Inigo,” the prince replied. “Although, I’m sure you already knew that.”

“Maybe, but I don’t know the boy behind the pretty face.” She said through grinning teeth. 

“How much do you want to know?” Inigo said. 

Annaka pondered a moment. “Start from the beginning.”  

Inigo sat up and took a sip from his tea. “It all began when my father’s dear friend was found abandoned in an empty field.” 

**Author's Note:**

> :* i love u annaka  
> i hope the hyperlink works! if it doesnt its the will smith pose. u kno the one.  
> the title is inspired by the comment annaka gave me about this whole story seeming to follow that rule of threes thing. its neeato.


End file.
